Garment hanger



April 1, 195s J. GORDONA 2,828,897 GARMENT HANGER I Filed April 25. 1955 2 sheets-snm 1 24 52 sa I 35\ l1) 2v 22/54/n s4 4 /4a5a.' BH4 @IWM 57 Y ij INVENTOR JOHN GORDON BY MW J 6l- ATTORNEY,

AApril l, 1958 J. GORDON 2,828,897 GARMENT HANGER FledvApril 25. 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVE N TOR JOHN GORDON 2,828,897 Patented Apr. i, 1958 United States Patent nice GARMENT HANGER John Gordon, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Application Apn'l 2s, 195s, serial No. 503,729 8 Claims. (Cl. 223-95) This invention relates to improvemnets in garment hangers.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a lgarment hanger particularly designed for skirts, but which may be used for other garments, such as gowns, coats, etc. This hanger may be used for hanging up garments in cupboards or storage, and -for display purposes.

Another object is the provision of a hanger which will tend to stretch laterally a garment supported thereby in order to keep creases from forming therein or to remove creases therefrom. l

kA further object is the provision of a hanger which will provide a stretching or straightening out action only in a desired direction. l

kA garment hanger according to the present invention comprises an elongated housing having substantially aligned arms slidably mounted therein and extending outwardly from opposite ends thereof. Spring means is included in the housing for urging the arms outwardly towards extended positions to stretch a garment fitted thereover, said arms being movable inwardly of the housing against the action of the spring means. In actual practice, it is preferable to have the inner ends of the arms overlapping each other, and the spring means comprising a spring connected at one end to the inner end of each arm and at its opposite end to the housing near the end of the latter through which said arm extends.

In the preferred form of the invention, there is a channel formed on theV outer side of the portion of each arm inthe housing and extending longitudinally of the arm,l

and a similar channel on the inner surface of each side ofthe housing slidably bearing against the -channel of the adjacent arm. These -channels open into each otherrto form a closed chamber for the accommodation of a spring.

An example of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a plan view of the hanger,

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, f

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line.33 of Figure 1, with part of the housing removed,

-Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, l

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with the two arms removed thereby disclosing the inner surface of a housing wall;

Figure 7 is a vertical section taken on the line 7-7 0f ,Figure 5, f

Figure Sis a section taken onthe line 8-8 of of Figure 5, f

Figure 9 is a section taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 5, showing the housing in end elevation, and

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the inner end of an arm showing the outer surface thereof.

Referring to the drawings, 10 is an elongated housing which is preferably split longitudinally thereof and dif vided into two identical sections 11 and 12. The housing has sides 15 and 16, a top 17, a bottom 18, and ends 19 and 2t).` The inner surfaces of the top and bottom are ilat, and they, combined with the inner surfaces of the sides, forma passage 22 that is substantially rectangular incross section.

The sections 11 and 12 of housing 10 are secured together in any desired manner, such as by means of screws 24, see Figure 2. It is desirable to provide supporting means for the housing, although this is not absolutely necessary. in this example, a hook 26 is provided, said hook Vbeing ixedly or pivotally connected to the housing in any convenient way. This may be accomplished by providing a ball 27 on the lower end of the hook which fits into a socket 28 formed in the housing near the top thereof, see Figures 3 and 7. The portion of the hook connected to the iball extends upwardly through a small passage 29 leading from the socket.

Arms 32 and 33 are formed with inner ends 34 and 35, respectively, which are slidably tted in housing 10 and are offset so that they overlap each other, see Figures 4 and 5. As these arms are identical, only one, namely, arm 32, will be described in detail.

Arm 32 is preferably I-shaped in cross section, as

clearly shown in Figure 9. Thus, the arm is formed with a central web 38 and upper and lower anges 39 and 40. This portion of the arm extends through an -shaped opening 42 in the end 20 of the housing. Actually, the web 38 is located a little to one side of the central plane extending longitudinally through the housing so that it will pass the corresponding web of arm 33, see Figures 5 and 9. yThe upper and lower flanges 39 and 40 slidably engage the top 17 and bottom i8 of the housing so that the latter act as guides for the arm. Portions are cut away from the upper and lower flanges along the inner end 34 of the arm, as indicated at 43 in Figure 4. This cut-away is made in the portions of the flanges opposite the end 35 of arm 33 so as to permit said inner end to overlap end 34 within the housing. A stop 45 is provided on arm 32 inside the end 20 of the housing in order to prevent the arm from being with drawn therefrom.

Spring means is provided for urging arm 32 outwardly towards an extended position, this movement being limited by stop 45. This may be accomplished by means of a spring 48 having loops 49 and Sti at its ends. This spring lies in a chamber 52 formed -by a channel 53 positioned on the outer side of the portion 34 of the arm in the housing. This channel has spaced walls 53a and 53b extending longitudinally of the arm, and said channel opens outwardly laterally from the arm. A similar channel 55 is formed on the inner surface of each side of the housing extending longitudinally thereof, each channel 55 having spaced walls 55a and SSI: extending longitudinally of the housing. The channel 55 of side 12 opens into channel 53 of the adjacent arm, thereby forming chamber 52 in which spring 48 is located. Loop 49 of the spring lits over a post 57 located on the arm at its inner end, while loop 50 of the spring lits over post 5K8 projecting inwardly from .the side ofthe housing near the end 20 thereof through which the arm slidably extends. As the walls 53a, 5317, 55a and SSb forming channels 53 and 55 project away from the arm and the housing side, as clearly shown in Figures 7 and 8, the edges of these walls slidably lbear against each other, as indicated at 62 and 63 in Figure 8, to act as'later'al bearings between the arm and housing side. This keeps the friction between the arm and side ldown to a minimum. If desired, the inner ends of each arm may be reduced vertically as indicated at 64 and 65 in Figure 3, to reduce the friction between the upper and lower 3 edges of the arms and the top and bottom of the housing.

A downwardly projecting finger 68 is provided on the outer end of each of the arms 32 and 33. These fingers may slope outwardly slightly from the housing, as clearly shown in Figure 2, and the outer surfaces ot these fingers may be formed with serrations 69. in addition to this, finger loops 72 may be provided on the arrns` adjacent the outer ends of the upper edges thereof.

This garment hanger is very easy to use. As stated above, springs 4S normally keep arms 32 and 3ft in extended positions relative to housing itl. The hanger is particularly designed for skirts, and it fits within the waistband thereof. In order to apply a skirt to the hanger, the finger 68 of one arm is usually inserted within the skirt band. Then the arms are moved inwardly ot the housing against the tension of springs When the arms have moved4 far enough, the finger of the other arm is placed in the skirt band, and both arms released. The springs stretch the skirt laterally and keep it under a certain amount of tension. This prevents the formation of creases therein, and has a tendency to remove creases therefrom. Furthermore, the skirt is firmly gripped without any danger of cutting the cloth, and it may be hung up by means of the hook 26. In order to remove the skirt, it is only necessary to press one or both arms inwardly of the housing until the skirt is freed.

The fact that the arms are I-shaped in cross section and fit into a passage within the housing that is substatitially rectangular in cross section, prevents the arms from twisting relative to the housing. Furthermore, the arms cannot move out of their substantial alignment so that the springs always urge them straight out from the ends of the housing. This ensures the pressure being exerted against a garment in the desired direction only.

The hanger may `'be quickly taken apart merely by removing the screws 24. In order to put it together again, the inner ends of the arms are overlapped and placed in the portion of passage 22 which is located in one of the housing sections, as shown in Figure 3. The ends of the springs are fitted over the posts of the arms and the housing sections, after which said sections are placed together in their proper positions with the ball Z7 of the supporting hook in socket 2S. The various parts are held in their proper position by securing the housing sections together by the screws.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A garment hanger comprising an elongated housing, arms slidably mounted in the housing and extending outwardly from opposite ends thereof, the inner ends of said arms overlapping within the housing, and a spring connected at one end to the inner end of each arm and at its opposite end to the housing near the end of the latter through which said arm extends, said arms being urged outwardly towards extended positions by the springs to stretch a garment fitted thereover, andrsaid arms being movable inwardly of the housing against the tension of the springs.

2. A garment hanger comprising an elongated housing, aligned arms slidably mounted in the housing and extending outwardly from opposite ends thereof, the inner ends of said arms being offset to overlap each other with in the housing, a downwardlyprojecting finger on the outer end of each arm, and a spring connected at one end to the inner end of each arm and at its opposite end to the housing near the end of the latter through which said arm extends, said arms being urged outwardly towards extended positions by the springs to stretch a garment fitted thereover, and said arms being movable inwardly of the housing against the tension of the springs.

3. A garment hanger comprising an elongated housing having two spaced sides, a top and a bottom, arms slidably mounted in the housing and extending outwardly from opposite ends thereof, the inner ends of said arms overlapping within the housing, a channel formed on the outer side of the portion of each arrn in the housing and extending longitudinally of said arm and lforming longitudinally extending walls, each channel opening outwardly laterally of its arm, a similar channel formed on the inner surface of each side of the housing and forming longitudinally extending walls, the walls of the housing slidably bearing against the walls of the adjacent arm and the arm channel opening into the housing channel to form therewith a closed spring chamber, and a spring in each chamber connected at one end to the inner end of the arm and at its other end to the housing adjacent the end `thereof through which said arm extends, said arms being urged outwardly towards extended positions by the springs to stretch a garment fitted thereover, and said arms being movable inwardly of the housing against the tension of the springs.

4. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 3 in which the inner portion of each arm is I-shaped in cross section, and the top and bottom of said portion slidably extend along the top and bottom ofthe housing.

5. A garment hanger comprising an elongated housing having a passage extending therethrough from end to end thereof, thc top and bottom of said passage being flat, arms slidably mounted in the housing and extending outwardly from the opposite ends thereof, the inner ends of said arms being offset to overlap within the housing, each arm having a fiat surface slidably bearing against that of the other arm, flat flanges on the arms slidably bearing against the fiat top and bottom of the passage, and a spring connected at one end to the inner end of each arm and at its opposite end to the housing near the end of the latter through which said arms extends, said arms being urged outwardly towards extended positions by the springs to stretch a garment fitted thereover, and said arms being movable inwardly of the housing against the tension of the springs.

6. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5 in which each spring is enclosed in a spring chamber consisting of a longitudinally-extending channel formed on the outer side of the arm to which the spring is connected and opening outwardly laterally of the arm, each of said channels forming walls extending longitudinally of the arm thereof, and a similar channel formed on the inner surface of the adjacent side of the housing opposed to the arm channel and opening into the latter channel, each of said housing channelsforming walls extending longitudinally of the housing which slidably bear against thc walls of the opposed arm channel.

7. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5 in which the arms are I-shaped in cross section and slidably extend through I-shaped openings formed in the ends of the housing.

8. A garment hanger as claimed in claim 5 in which each spring has loops at its ends, and including posts on the inner ends of the arms aligned with and spaced from the posts on the housing near the ends of the latter, the loops of each spring removably fitting over an arm and a housing post.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

